Excerpt

Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed Mushrooms, often filled with a mixture of crabmeat and bread crumbs, are perhaps one of the most familiar and best-loved hors d'oeuvres--and for good reason. They are perfectly shaped, charming containers for all kinds of interesting fillings, and their woodsy undertone is just subtle enough to gently flavor whatever they are carrying. For perfect stuffed mushrooms, choose the freshest white mushrooms you can find, free of blemishes and about the size of a silver dollar in diameter. Serve them hot.

Leek, Fennel, and Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Makes 2 Dozen

Fennel, also called anise, has a slight licorice flavor. Fennel bulbs vary greatly in size, depending on the season. Buy a very small bulb, about 1 pound, for this recipe.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/4 of a small fennel bulb, trimmed, thinly shaved on a mandoline, and roughly chopped

1. Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the fennel and the leeks and cook until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the coriander and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a large plate to cool. Reserve 2 tablespoons for garnish.

2. Heat the oven to broil with the rack in the center. Mash the goat cheese into the leek-fennel mixture until well combined. Use a small spoon to fill each mushroom cap with the filling. Place the caps on a baking sheet and broil until hot throughout, about 1 minute. Garnish each with a bit of the reserved leek-fennel mixture. Serve hot.

Broccoli Rabe and Pancetta Stuffed Mushrooms

Makes 2 Dozen

Broccoli rabe, also referred to as broccoli di rape, is a pleasantly bitter, leafy cousin to broccoli. I especially like it combined with pancetta, an assertively flavored Italian bacon cured with salt and spices that is generally available in the deli section of the grocery store.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F with the rack in the upper position. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until beginning to crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallots. Cook until softened and translucent. Add the mushroom stems and the garlic and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the wine and the broccoli rabe, cover, and let steam for 4 minutes, until the broccoli rabe is bright green. Remove the cover and cook until the liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat.

2. Using a small spoon, fill each mushroom cap with the filling. Place the caps on a baking sheet. Bake until the mushrooms are hot throughout, 2 to 4 minutes. Garnish with the thyme and serve hot.

Polenta Stuffed Mushrooms

Makes 2 Dozen

Pecorino-Romano is an aged Italian sheep's-milk cheese with a sharp, intense flavor. It is worth searching out this cheese, but if you can't locate it, you can use Parmesan cheese.

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme

1/4 cup quick-cooking polenta

1 ounce Pecorino Romano cheese, grated on the small holes of a box grater to yield 1/2 cup

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 recipe Golden Mushroom Caps (see below)

1. Heat the oven to broil with the rack in the upper position. Meanwhile, place 1/2 cup of the milk, 1/2 cup of water, the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the thyme in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Slowly pour in the polenta, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring, about 2 minutes, until the polenta thickens. Stir in all but 2 tablespoons of the cheese, the remaining milk, and the butter.

2. Using a small spoon, quickly spoon the polenta into the mushroom caps. Garnish each cap with the remaining cheese. Place the caps on a baking sheet. Broil until the cheese is golden, about 1 minute. Garnish with the remaining thyme. Serve hot.

Porcini Stuffed Mushrooms with Camembert

Makes 2 Dozen

Porcinis, also known as cepes, are among my favorite wild mushrooms. They are available fresh in late spring or autumn and dried year-round. When using dried, rehydrate them before incorporating into the recipe.

1. Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the mushroom stems and shallots and cook until the shallots are translucent, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the white wine, scraping up any bits that may be on the bottom of the pan, and cook until the wine has evaporated, 1 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from the heat.

2. Heat the oven to broil with the rack in the center. Use a small spoon to fill each mushroom cap with the filling. Place the caps on a baking sheet and set aside.

3. Slice the Camembert into 24 small pieces, each slice just large enough to cover about half of the filling. Set aside. Broil the filled mushroom caps until hot throughout, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and place a cheese slice on each mushroom. Serve hot.

Golden Mushroom Caps

Makes 2 Dozen

Roasting mushroom caps at high heat brings out their inherent deep flavor, so they taste much better when stuffed. Buy mushrooms with caps small enough to eat in one bite, about 1/4 inches in diameter. If you use larger mushroom caps, buy fewer, or there will not be enough filling to stuff them.

24 small button mushrooms

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. remove the stems from the mushrooms and reserve if they are used in the filling. Use a damp cloth or mushroom brush to clean the mushrooms. Brush each mushroom with the olive oil . Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Place the mushrooms, cap-side up, on a baking sheet. roast until the mushrooms are golden and their liquid begins to seep from the cavity, 6 to 7 minutes. Place cap-side up on paper towels to drain. The mushroom caps can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 4 hours.

*****

Jicama and Green Papaya Summer Rolls

Makes about 2 Dozen

In tropical countries, green papayas are often used as vegetables, which is how I use them here. Rice vermicelli noodles and Vietnamese spring roll wrappers are available at Asian markets and many grocery stores. The rolls may be kept at room temperature, covered with a lightly dampened paper towel, for 1 hour after being assembled. Do not refrigerate the rolls or the rice paper will dry out and become brittle.

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 small seedless cucumber

1 medium carrot

1 small jicama

1 large green papaya, peeled, halved (seeds discarded)

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 ounce rice vermicelli noodles

6 8 1/2-inch Vietnamese dried rice spring roll wrappers

8 leaves Bibb lettuce, torn into smaller pieces, ribs removed

Peanut Dipping Sauce (see below)

1. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Set aside and let cool completely.

2. Slice the cucumber lengthwise using a mandoline or a chef's knife into long 1/8-inch-thick strips. Cut each strip lengthwise into 1/8-inch-wide pieces. Slice the carrot and the jicama lengthwise in the same way. Reserve. Cut the papaya lengthwise into 1/8-inch-wide pieces. In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, carrot, jicama, and papaya. Toss gently with the reserved vinegar mixture, lemon juice, and cilantro. Set aside.

3. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the canola oil, noodles, and the remaining teaspoon of salt. Boil until the noodles are tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Leave the noodles in cool water until ready to use, so they won't stick together.

4. Just before filling the rolls, transfer the vegetable mixture to a colander to drain. Gently press out the liquid. Drain the noodles and arrange them on a baking sheet, loosely covered with a damp paper towel.

5. To assemble: Set up a large shallow bowl of very hot water. Slip a spring roll wrapper into the water. When the wrapper becomes pliable, after about 45 seconds, remove it from the water and lay it flat on a paper towel. Place 2 to 3 pieces of lettuce on the bottom half of the wrapper. Arrange 1/4 packed cup of vegetables over the lettuce. Spread out 1 heaping tablespoon of the noodles over the vegetables. Roll the wrapper up, tucking in the ends as you roll and rolling tightly as possible. Repeat this procedure with the remaining wrappers. Trim off the ends of the rolls. Cut each roll in half in the middle. Then cut each of the 2 halves into 2 pieces on an angle to make a total of 4 pieces. Continue with the remaining rolls. Stand the rolls flat on their ends and serve with Peanut Dipping Sauce.

Peanut Dipping Sauce

Makes 1 cup

Thin this sauce with warm water if it is too thick to lightly coat the Jicama and Green Papaya Summer Rolls.

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 small onion, finely chopped to yield 1/2 cup

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons chili paste

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup coarsely chopped roasted unsalted peanuts

1/4 cup boiling water

1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chili paste, curry powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Stir in the peanut butter, coconut milk, vinegar, brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of warm water. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens and the peanut butter dissolves.

2. Add 2 tablespoons of the peanuts to the sauce and then transfer it to a blender. Blend until smooth, adding 2 to 4 tablespoons of boiling water to help the sauce emulsify. Transfer it to a bowl. Let cool to room temperature. Before serving, garnish with the remaining peanuts. The sauce may be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. (Press plastic wrap directly on top of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming.) Bring the sauce back to room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

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